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Van Canto - Break The Silence review



Reviewer:
8.4

51 users:
7.47
Band: Van Canto
Album: Break The Silence
Release date: September 2011


01. If I Die In Battle
02. The Seller Of Souls
03. Primo Victoria [feat. Joakim Broden] [Sabaton cover]
04. Dangers In My Head
05. Black Wings Of Hate
06. Bed Of Nails [Alice Cooper cover]
07. Spelled In Waters [feat. Marcus Siepen]
08. Neuer Wind
09. The Higher Flight
10. Master Of The Wind [Manowar cover]
11. Betrayed [bonus]
12. Bad To The Bone [Running Wild cover] [bonus]
13. A Storm To Come [bonus]

Although I'm aware running out of ideas isn't an option for Van Canto, I was still caught by surprise when they announced the recording of their fourth album only a year after the marvelous Tribe Of Force. Naturally, fears of a rushed and half-assed record followed, but I'm pleased to say Van Canto didn't fall into that trap, unlike some bands in 2011. The new album, Break The Silence, isn't quite as strong as its two predecessors, but I hope that isn't a sign of a dry spell and that we'll enjoy quality releases from this young band for many years to come.

I must regretfully inform you that the covers, one of Van Canto's trademarks for sure, aren't all that strong or interesting, with the exception of "Bed Of Nails". A soulful remake of Manowar's "Master Of The Wind" and Running Wild's rock tune, "Bad To The Bone", lack the excitement factor their covers used to have, and the band's take on "Primo Victoria" turned out to be awfully pedestrian, though my utter dislike for Sabaton probably accounts for a part of that impression.

The album starts with firing a handful of straightforward hits, and although it lags a bit towards the end with the seventh and eighth track, "The Higher Flight" once again picks up the pace, although the second half of the album is nowhere near as strong as the first, which contains some of the band's best moments in their career. Break The Silence ends with three bonus songs. One of them is the aforementioned Running Wild cover; the other two are splendid - especially the band's first epic, "A Storm To Come". Although some parts of it don't work as well as the others, it makes for an awesome closer and a fine first take on longer tunes.

Break The Silence contains a couple of songs in which a guitar or piano is added to "enhance" the feel, and although that's one of the rare things that bother me on Van Canto albums, there are a lot of people who wish to hear more of their work accompanied by instruments, so I probably shouldn't complain about them not catering to my own personal taste.

Overall, if the covers could have been picked more carefully, the usage of instruments avoided (save the drums of course) and the tracks arranged differently, the final product could have been even more dynamic and enjoyable. But all those complaints become trivial when in front of us is an album filled with such jovial - as well as cheesy, but very lighthearted - and empowering tunes.


Rating breakdown
Performance: 9
Songwriting: 8
Originality: 9
Production: 9





Written on 01.12.2011 by A part of the team since December 2011. 7.0 means the album is good.


Comments

Comments: 49   Visited by: 243 users
02.12.2011 - 11:19
RockeRoy

Wow, incredibly high rating. This band is a fucking joke. Why is this band on MS and not Dethklok. Dethklok salutes Metal, Van canto poisons Metal
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You found god? If nobody claims him in thirty days, he's yours

Walk with me in hell
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02.12.2011 - 11:47
Rating: 7
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by RockeRoy on 02.12.2011 at 11:19

Wow, incredibly high rating. This band is a fucking joke. Why is this band on MS and not Dethklok. Dethklok salutes Metal, Van canto poisons Metal

Your opinion only. I honestly can't say why playing metal without stringed instruments is seen as a "poison of metal". Same thing happened when Apocalyptica came out. Just because a band doesn't have guitars doesn't make them any less metal.
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7.0 means the album is good
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02.12.2011 - 11:57
RockeRoy

Quote:
Your opinion only. I honestly can't say why playing metal without stringed instruments is seen as a "poison of metal". Same thing happened when Apocalyptica came out. Just because a band doesn't have guitars doesn't make them any less metal.

It will suprise me if i am the only one with this opinion, but if so, thats ok. Everyone is entitled have whatever opinion they have. Apocalyptica was fun for a while, when i was 13. And yes, no guitars = less Metal. And the band plays almoast just coversongs.. Pick up a guitar and make your own heavy music!!
----
You found god? If nobody claims him in thirty days, he's yours

Walk with me in hell
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02.12.2011 - 12:38
malaikat

Quote:
Written by RockeRoy on 02.12.2011 at 11:57

Your opinion only. I honestly can't say why playing metal without stringed instruments is seen as a "poison of metal". Same thing happened when Apocalyptica came out. Just because a band doesn't have guitars doesn't make them any less metal.

It will suprise me if i am the only one with this opinion, but if so, thats ok. Everyone is entitled have whatever opinion they have. Apocalyptica was fun for a while, when i was 13. And yes, no guitars = less Metal. And the band plays almoast just coversongs.. Pick up a guitar and make your own heavy music!!


Wait, you say that everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and then you just continue with thrash-talking? Van Canto is "poison", wtf?
You almost sound like a parody of a trve metalhead: NO GUITAR NO METAL ARRRH KVLTNESS HEAVYNESS
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02.12.2011 - 12:55
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by RockeRoy on 02.12.2011 at 11:57
And yes, no guitars = less Metal.


I know some doom metal bands without guitars that would love to have a chat with you or just playing the shit out of their bass to shatter the silly old concept of "guitar = more metal".

This band? Is pretty fucking awful tbh
Metal? yeah, it's metal. Songwriting and sound techniques is also a part of a genre, not just instruments.
Posion? Meh, you care too much about it... There's nothing this band is doing that could affect the genre in any negative way.

...And just for the sake of argument: 13 covers (I'm only counting the covers that appear on regular cds, not bonus tracks because many bands have covers as bones), 45 songs in their discography (again, without counting bonus tracks. This will give around 29% of cover songs according to my wicked math skills... So no, it's not "most songs".

Oh and btw... the "fucking joke" you talked about isn't this band... It's the fact you just used Dethklok to prove a point. That's kind of a fail.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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02.12.2011 - 13:06
Merchant of Doom

One of the worst records ever recorded...
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02.12.2011 - 13:52
Rating: 7
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by X-Ray Rod on 02.12.2011 at 12:55

...And just for the sake of argument: 13 covers (I'm only counting the covers that appear on regular cds, not bonus tracks because many bands have covers as bones), 45 songs in their discography (again, without counting bonus tracks. This will give around 29% of cover songs according to my wicked math skills... So no, it's not "most songs".

Mr. Doc, Thank you for responding instead of me For me, they're the only power metal that won me over during the last couple of years by simply playing the music out of their heart and not being too cocky. Honestly, everyone can dislike the shit out of their cheesy approach and the catchiness of their tunes, I couldn't care less. But calling them non-metal AND resurrecting the ancient Dethklok argument? This is power metal if there ever was any.

RockeRoy, the reason why everyone's attacking you here is that, for an example, you won't see me around on Immortal boards posting how that's cheesy shit and how their corpsepaints are a joke, or on metalcore boards how those bands are "a poison of metal". Don't like something? Fine. Even saying "this sucks" is a whole lot better argument than what you've said.
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7.0 means the album is good
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02.12.2011 - 14:18
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Milena on 02.12.2011 at 13:52
you won't see me around on Immortal boards posting how that's cheesy shit and how their corpsepaints are a joke


Both the band and most of the fanbase are actually aware of that fact. Immortal has always loved to just fuck around. We separate them immediatly from the rest of the BM pack.
But yeah, your argument still applies.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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02.12.2011 - 14:21
Merchant of Doom

I really don't know how it's even possible to defend this cack... it's just really really horrible. In these cases it's not even a matter of taste anymore... it's objectively bad...
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02.12.2011 - 14:43
Slayer666

The first album was a fun gimmick. The second one was redundant. The fourth is abusing the gimmick so badly it's laughable.
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02.12.2011 - 14:55
ParL

As with everything, my advice will be to make use more of "I don't like this, I do like this" instead of saying "This sucks because I say so". I believe that's the best way to show that you respect others people opinion even though you don't share the same thoughts or ideas/tastes. For someone to say "This genre/band sucks because of bla bla bla" will be offensive on any matter for that other person that does like and enjoy that genre/band, why do that? save your time and the others person time and just say "Oh I see, well I particularly don't like this band/genre because of..." don't say "Oh this band sucks!"
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"What you do in life, echoes in Eternity"
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02.12.2011 - 15:11
Rating: 7
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by X-Ray Rod on 02.12.2011 at 14:18

Both the band and most of the fanbase are actually aware of that fact. Immortal has always loved to just fuck around. We separate them immediatly from the rest of the BM pack.

As I do with cheesy power bands, if I happen to like some

Written by Slayer666 on 02.12.2011 at 14:43

The first album was a fun gimmick.

I'm quite aware most people think this is a gimmick, but they don't actually use it to draw attention to themselves. They were a novelty around the first album, and then they just proceeded to play music their way. There was no "oh look we're so awesome we play without instruments aren't we awesome?" thrown from them. That's what I like about them the most I guess - if they played this music with guitars and bass, I'd still listen to it. In the vast sea of boring, soulless, cocksure power metal bands, they're one of the rare ones with genuine warmth.

Written by Merchant of Doom on 02.12.2011 at 14:21

I really don't know how it's even possible to defend this cack... it's just really really horrible. In these cases it's not even a matter of taste anymore... it's objectively bad...

I personally think it's a matter of taste. It's just that far from your taste your brain classifies it as alien. So you can freely use this as an argument to claim your taste is better than mine, I guess, but you appear to be a nice person, so I don't expect you to do that
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7.0 means the album is good
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02.12.2011 - 15:19
Slayer666

Written by Milena on 02.12.2011 at 15:11


I'm quite aware most people think this is a gimmick, but they don't actually use it to draw attention to themselves. They were a novelty around the first album, and then they just proceeded to play music their way. There was no "oh look we're so awesome we play without instruments aren't we awesome?" thrown from them. That's what I like about them the most I guess - if they played this music with guitars and bass, I'd still listen to it. In the vast sea of boring, soulless, cocksure power metal bands, they're one of the rare ones with genuine warmth.



I guess that's it, then. Even with that thing supposedly separating them from the rest, namely the lack of instruments, they still sound like just another drop in the endless sea of mega-boring power metal trite. To me, of course.
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02.12.2011 - 15:23
Rating: 7
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by Slayer666 on 02.12.2011 at 15:19

I guess that's it, then. Even with that thing supposedly separating them from the rest, namely the lack of instruments, they still sound like just another drop in the endless sea of mega-boring power metal trite. To me, of course.


More proof that tastes differ ridiculously much I wouldn't be so vocal about this band, except for the fact that I'm really, really picky about my power metal, and when I come across a band that has appeal (it's been, like, a couple of years since I've found any, and I can't say I haven't tried), I must share it with everyone.
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7.0 means the album is good
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02.12.2011 - 16:43
Merchant of Doom

Written by Milena on 02.12.2011 at 15:11


Written by Merchant of Doom on 02.12.2011 at 14:21

I really don't know how it's even possible to defend this cack... it's just really really horrible. In these cases it's not even a matter of taste anymore... it's objectively bad...


I personally think it's a matter of taste. It's just that far from your taste your brain classifies it as alien. So you can freely use this as an argument to claim your taste is better than mine, I guess, but you appear to be a nice person, so I don't expect you to do that


well, no I wouldn't say my taste is better than yours, just that your tasteless taste for tasteless music is tasteless...
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02.12.2011 - 16:52
Rating: 5
hadriel

Written by Slayer666 on 02.12.2011 at 14:43

The first album was a fun gimmick. The second one was redundant. The fourth is abusing the gimmick so badly it's laughable.


^this. Wow apparently I don't even need to post on here anymore because you say everything I want to before I get to the threads.

First time I saw Van Canto I thought it was one of the coolest things ever...needless to say that feeling wears thin fast, especially when they keep the same things over and over again. It's been beat to death, I couldn't even listen through half the album before I got sick of it and had to turn it off.
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02.12.2011 - 17:42
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by Milena on 02.12.2011 at 15:23
I wouldn't be so vocal about this band...


Pun intended?
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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02.12.2011 - 17:52
Absak

Poorly executed gimmick music. This, in my opinion, is bad, Illud Divinum Insanus bad. I'm also very picky with power metal bands, only 3 Inches Of Blood, Blind Guardian, Charred Walls Of The Damned, and Sabaton for me. This, to me, is the lowest tier a power metal band could possibly be on. Only competent member of this band is the male lead singer.
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02.12.2011 - 18:26
Rating: 7
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by X-Ray Rod on 02.12.2011 at 17:42

Pun intended?

Hahahahahah, no, but my subconscious is more witty than I am, I suppose.

So, basically, in an alternate universe where every metal band is a-capella and there shows up a band who plays four albums with guitars, you'd say:"nah, those 'riff' things have been beat too fast, it's a gimmick that gets old." It's not a gimmick. Just a metal band who happens to do their shit without the guitars. If they wanted to play their metal on pots and pans, it would give you every right to call it a gimmick, but a-capella (have no idea whether I'm spelling it correctly?) is common practice in the music world, and frankly I've expected a band like this to emerge sooner.

I don't wanna sound stiff or biased, but if you all went out and said "this band sucks and they play sucky power metal" like Slayer and Merchant of Doom did, it would be much more reasonable than hating them for their "gimmick".
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7.0 means the album is good
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02.12.2011 - 19:52
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Ya I'm in agreement with the majority here. This is a completely redundant gimmick that's gone on for far too long. The only reason anyone noticed them was due to their big-name band cover songs and their Youtube videos so everyone's all "zomg they play music without INSTRUMENTS".

Terrible band, and the only song I listened to from this album was terrible.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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02.12.2011 - 21:17
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
If you want it so much:
It sucks because not even guitar riffs would make it good, it's still generic power metal and it goes without saying that no one would give a rat ass if this wasn't done this way... Unless you are someone that sucks up everything from the genre.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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02.12.2011 - 21:31
Rating: 7
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by X-Ray Rod on 02.12.2011 at 21:17

If you want it so much:
It sucks because not even guitar riffs would make it good, it's still generic power metal and it goes without saying that no one would give a rat ass if this wasn't done this way... Unless you are someone that sucks up everything from the genre.

Well thank you. Finally someone who would bash the music instead of the approach
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7.0 means the album is good
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03.12.2011 - 00:44
Merchant of Doom

Written by Milena on 02.12.2011 at 21:31

Written by X-Ray Rod on 02.12.2011 at 21:17

If you want it so much:
It sucks because not even guitar riffs would make it good, it's still generic power metal and it goes without saying that no one would give a rat ass if this wasn't done this way... Unless you are someone that sucks up everything from the genre.

Well thank you. Finally someone who would bash the music instead of the approach


Music?
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03.12.2011 - 02:15
RockeRoy

Quote:
I know some doom metal bands without guitars that would love to have a chat with you or just playing the shit out of their bass to shatter the silly old concept of "guitar = more metal".

This band? Is pretty fucking awful tbh
Metal? yeah, it's metal. Songwriting and sound techniques is also a part of a genre, not just instruments.
Posion? Meh, you care too much about it... There's nothing this band is doing that could affect the genre in any negative way.

...And just for the sake of argument: 13 covers (I'm only counting the covers that appear on regular cds, not bonus tracks because many bands have covers as bones), 45 songs in their discography (again, without counting bonus tracks. This will give around 29% of cover songs according to my wicked math skills... So no, it's not "most songs".

Oh and btw... the "fucking joke" you talked about isn't this band... It's the fact you just used Dethklok to prove a point. That's kind of a fail.

I agree with you that there is exceptions, but first of all Van canto does not use bass guitar, second; bass guitar was counted as guitar in my mind(will explain down to the last detail next time) third; maybe your doom bands would be even heavier with heavy fucking guitars on top of the already heavy bass grooves. last; metal is not just play as heavy as you can, guitars brings in so many other things to make it Metal. I know some metal bands that would love to have a chat with you or just shredding the shit out of their guitars.

When you say this band doesn't do anything to hurt the genre, do you mean Metal in general or A Cappella power metal? if you mean metal in general, i think it leads new listeners away from all the great Death, black, grindcore etc. etc. and you get those who only listens to te Metllica and ozzy ballads.. and maybe some power metal ballades. Not that i care, i doesn't poison me, it poisons Metal.
Dethklok is the cure to this:) ahh. man, what would metal be without clichès? Dethklok nails it on the head. And Behind the cartoons that someone can't understand is not the one who plays the instruments.. behind is a genious comedian and musician, and when a rare multi talent like this are banned from the club, but fake ass van canto and their "riddeli-diddeli-diddeli-dom" have free enterance ,i can't help but to think that they have already poisoned Metal.
----
You found god? If nobody claims him in thirty days, he's yours

Walk with me in hell
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03.12.2011 - 02:22
X-Ray Rod
Skandino
Written by RockeRoy on 03.12.2011 at 02:15
I agree with you that there is exceptions.....


You missed the point of my comment. Where composition is just as much of a factor as instruments. But whatever.
You reasons to say that the band "poisons" metal in general are just your own subjective views without anything to back them up so yeah.... Not really an argument there. Nothing more to say from my part, as I have zero need of commenting here.
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Written by BloodTears on 19.08.2011 at 18:29
Like you could kiss my ass
Written by Milena on 20.06.2012 at 10:49
Rod, let me love you.
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03.12.2011 - 02:31
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by RockeRoy on 03.12.2011 at 02:15
tl;dr

Basically you think one gimmick is bad because it's a power metal band but another gimmick is good because it's a death metal band.

Airtight logic.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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03.12.2011 - 03:34
Rating: 7
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by Troy Killjoy on 03.12.2011 at 02:31

Basically you think one gimmick is bad because it's a power metal band but another gimmick is good because it's a death metal band.

Airtight logic.

Actually, I think that if they were playing a bit more "true" metal, people would be all over it and wouldn't mention its gimmicky-ness at all. But when the cheese of power metal is combined with a "gimmick" (again, I don't think it is one, they're not really using it to the extremes of marketing themselves), it's enough to make some people (not including some of you who simply dislike it of course) to claim it's a "poison of metal". I've interpreted his comment as saying that the music is too simple and it spoils metal so everyone will listen to just the easy stuff... and that it requires no talent, which clearly shows the dude knows shit about a cappella music.

I'll be the first one to say that out of all genres I've listened to, power metal has the least quality bands out of the vast sea of bands that play it... but despising it so much isn't a really good option either.
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7.0 means the album is good
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03.12.2011 - 04:19
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Milena on 03.12.2011 at 03:34
Actually, I think that if they were playing a bit more "true" metal, people would be all over it and wouldn't mention its gimmicky-ness at all.

False. See Amon Amarth haters.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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03.12.2011 - 09:25
Rating: 7
Milena
gloom cookie
Written by Troy Killjoy on 03.12.2011 at 04:19

False. See Amon Amarth haters.

A lot more lovers than haters in a random batch o' people.
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7.0 means the album is good
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03.12.2011 - 09:28
Troy Killjoy
perfunctionist
Written by Milena on 03.12.2011 at 09:25
A lot more lovers than haters in a random batch o' people.

Oh for sure, I just meant for comparison's sake. Those who hate AA for their gimmick are the same kinds of people who hate VC for their gimmick.

Vikings - a capella.

I think the latter receives more hate because it's bringing the cheese factor of an already cheesy genre even higher, whereas AA bring a cheese factor to a genre that doesn't even know how to spell cheese unless zombies are eating it with their human snack as an appetizer.
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"Wise men talk because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something."
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